z46) ffffión of`aPecanfed, to be the Condition ofChurch Communion (and what wife man would have lower that will not make the Church a £;wine ;Die) ? It followeth that the Pa [torsmuff have the evidenceof fuch . a Profejon offree and voluntary content, or elfe they mull not receive filch perfcns : Now filch a one that bath been long tried by, the word, and by the penalty of Excomnnication it f If,and refufeth toprofefs Repentance, but only profcf eth it when no other means will efcape a Prilbo, cloth not give the Pallor an evidence in the Court of Reafon acceptable, to fignife a voluntary Repentance or content; and therefore what ever Fallibly may be known to Gód, he is not to be taken into the Church': For we mull judgeby evidence, and that is by fuch free profdllìon of Repentance, as Chrill bath taught us to expect : and therefore we can only Judge that perfon to be one, that had rather fay he repenteth than be impritoned, but not as one thtt indeed repentethor eicli eth Church Ccmmnnionas fuch, and for trueends. Obj. But ,ifhe be in the Church though without Repentance, he may therebe brought to Repentanceafterznard, Anf. Pofiibilities are no Rule for us to go by in fach cafes, fo you may fay if one be baptized, before he profefs to believe oarepent, hemay be brought to it after by hearing in the Church :. But this is but to make Lawes for the Church inaead ofChrifts, when we have call out his Lawes,and to confound the world and the Church by our foolilh adverfe reafon. He that is in the Church notoriouay again, or without his will, #'lands there but as a teftimony of the Bilhops pertìdioufnefs: Andh'e that will not comein by any reafoning or intreating, without theviolencc of the Sword, is in all procefs of humane Judgments to be etfeemed unwilling: The ancient Churches would indeed importune men toBBap- tifm; but they never baptized any (at age)that did not intreat to be baptized, and voluntarily make pro`eflionoffaith andrepentance. And Papilla and Protef?ants commonlyaffirm, thatnone fhould be conftrained to be baptized, or to make proration ofChriftianity. But the Papifls come after and 4ell us that vet when one isbaptized, he maybe compelled by force to all his duty, and to May be confirained to Bay in the .Church, or to return if he forfake it : Their_Reafons are, t. Becauf, now he is obliged by hisown confect. a.. Besaufe hebath puthimfelfunder the Go- verninent of the Church, and therefore mull be Governed byit. flnf But t. to confentto be a Chrifrian Ruledby quill, and to content to be conftrained by force to continue this confent,,are two things. Prove the . latter ifyou canto be included in our Baptifm ? Contrarily as we freely, and not forcedly confent,. it is fuppofed that weare accordingly.: tocon- tinue it as we began it. a. And to put our (elves under the Government ofthe Church, is not to put our felves under the fword : the.Church punifhtnent re.acheth no further then excomunication : and wherea man is fully excomunicated, he is call out ofthe Church again: and when . be.is, out of it he is not. under, its. Government: Indeed he is under the Maghirate.,
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